Caritas Program for HIV/AIDS

The First Of It’s Kind In Ohio

The Caritas Program of St. Augustine was established in 1991 to care for individuals living with HIV/AIDS. It was the first skilled nursing program in Ohio dedicated solely to caring for the specific needs of individuals with HIV/AIDS and received the Social Accountability Award by the Ohio Association of Philanthropic Homes and Housing for the Aging in 1996.

In the early years, most patients came to St. Augustine for intensive clinical and compassionate end-of-life care. Throughout the years, advancements in treatment therapies are helping individuals to live longer, healthier lives. As the disease has changed, so has our focus.

Through the Caritas program at St. Augustine Health Campus, the person living with HIV/AIDS is treated with a wide range of services addressing their physical, mental and spiritual needs. One of the main goals of the program is to promote resident independence as much as possible so that they may graduate to needing less intense care in other community settings. In addition to short-term skilled nursing care, the need for enhanced health education, support, counseling and medication management has become more important.

In 2007 St. Augustine Health Campus, in collaboration with the Ursuline Sisters of Cleveland, found a way to better address these needs.

The Ursuline Piazza, founded by Sr. Susan Zion, provides education and support to those living with HIV that they may live better, healthier lives. Ursuline Piazza sponsors a variety of support groups, assists with completing government and agency forms, makes reminder calls for medications and appointments, provides transportation to office visits, grocery stores and case worker appointments and tries whenever possible to provide a place to come just to talk. Ursuline Piazza currently provides services which include educational programming for HIV-positive clients and health care providers.

The Ursuline Piazza provides additional support to patients and staff of our Caritas Program.